COPS OFFICE ANNOUNCES $62 MILLION TO LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT FOR CRIME FIGHTING TECHNOLOGY

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of
Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) announced
$62 million in technology grants to local law enforcement agencies today.
These grants, awarded through COPS Making Officer Redeployment Effective
(MORE) program, will help 294 state and local law enforcement agencies
purchase and deploy crime fighting technology systems.

Technology is one of local law
enforcement's most pressing needs. The COPS MORE program has responded to
this need by providing over $1 billion to American law enforcement
agencies to enhance their crime fighting technology infrastructure. MORE
grants cover up to 75 percent of the total cost of crime fighting
technologies like mobile computing systems, personal computers, computer
aided dispatch systems, crime analysis hardware and software, automated
booking and video arraignment systems, and automated fingerprint
identification systems.

"MORE grants help keep America safe by
allowing local agencies to keep more law enforcement professionals on the
streets," said COPS director Carl R. Peed. "Technology allows
agencies to automate processes, improve communications, and acts as a
force multiplier. This gives officers more time to patrol their
communities, which is more important than ever as local law enforcement
embraces its role in securing our homeland."

MORE grants not only help agencies
re-deploy officers, they make time spent patrolling the community more
effective. In-car data terminals and crime mapping tools, for example,
help officers more quickly and effectively address crime and other
community issues by enabling them to perform more extensive research and
analysis while on patrol.